Protocols About Mentioning PageRank When Selling Links

Will Mentioning PR Lead to Getting Banned by Google?

[derrickcm]

Hello,

I have a couple of web sites, and one way I make money off of them is by selling simple text links. I have read alot of comments that say that selling pagerank is wrong, and google will ban you for it... but I was curious where the line was on this.

When I sell a text link, I do say what the PR of the web site I am selling the link on is... but I also give traffic estimates, top search keyphrases, etc. Does this count as selling page rank? Could I be banned for this practice?

I am probably just over reacting, but I was basically just curiuos what practices involving selling links could get you in trouble, particularily involving getting banned from Google and pagerank. Thank you. Cheers,

Derrick

[martinibuster]

Anyone who cares about PR will see it with their toolbar. People who don't know about PR won't care.

Talking up your PR might piss off a competitor or a busybody who likes to file spam reports. In my opinion you are better off not talking about it.

[lgn1]

Its about traffic not PR. Mention how much traffic you are getting not that stupid green bar.

[sugarrae]

>>>Anyone who cares about PR will see it with their toolbar.

Excellent point.

Also, you're not selling "links", you are selling "ads that generate quality traffic". You'll benefit as well if you can rotate their "ad copy" (not anchor text) so that they can test which "ad" gets the "best response" from their target market (not so that search engines don't see the same anchor every time). The location of their "ad" can also change it's monetary value - the more "visible" the ad to "visitors" (like by being within the content portions of the page and not footers or sidebars), the more value it may have to the "advertiser" (not SEO).

[johan]

Anyone who cares about PR will see it with their toolbar. People who don't know about PR won't care.

I agree with that. Your not supposed to be selling "PR" and if you do Google can permanently ban you.

[edited by: martinibuster at 7:25 am (utc) on Nov. 8, 2005]
[edit reason] edited for specifics [/edit]

[derrickcm]

So is it your theory that when a web master buys ads, they do not care about the pagerank then? I had just always assumed this was one of about 5 main factors (pagerank, traffic, inbound links, website content, web site search engine rankings) that mattered to people who bought ads, and this is what I mention when I sell them. I mean I originally just wanted to know if mentioning pagerank when selling ads might get me into trouble, but the idea that it doesnt matter is a whole different story. Thank you.

[sugarrae]

>>>I had just always assumed this was one of about 5 main factors (pagerank,

I think what was being said is that a lot of webmasters *do* care about a sites PR when buying ads, but that you don't need to *tell* them your PR. If they are a webmaster who cares about PR, they'll look at the toolbar themselves. :)